Brain Tumors: Symptoms, Causes, Risks and Treatments

Brain tumors are a result of an overgrowth of cells in the brain, which eventually form into a mass of tissue called a tumor. They can be cancerous or benign tumors.

Some risk factors for primary brain tumors are radiation therapy and inherited conditions like neurofibromatosis, but the cause is unknown. They are non-cancerous most of the time, but they can be large and aggressive at times.

Primary brain tumors originate in the brain. There are different types of brain tumors that are characterized by location, tissue type and if they are cancerous or not. For adults, the surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are more common tumor types. Meningiomas are more common in women and people between 40 and 70 years old.

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Symptoms include headaches, change in alertness, change in senses, seizures and weakness. Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Sometimes medication can be used for symptoms.